Promote Pickleball? Yes, Says Sarawak’s Datuk Snowdan Lawan at PicklePro Kuching Opening
Sarawak’s Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Snowdan Lawan is more than ready to promote pickleball. In fact, he has urged organisers of pickleball tournaments and events to approach him if they need assistance as the state is keen to promote pickleball as part of its sports tourism thrust.
“If you need any help from our ministry, you just let us know. We can help to promote and organise it. This is a popular and trending game,” said Datuk Lawan at the PicklePro Kuching opening ceremony at the Tabuan Laru Family Club on Sunday. “Under sport tourism, we have a lot of opportunities to promote Sarawak indirectly through sports. Pickleball can help attract more tourists and contribute to our target of welcoming five million visitors this year,”
The overwhelming success of last year’s Borneo International Pickleball tournament in Pending proves as much, as around 1,200 participants from 16 countries descended on Borneo to play pickleball competitively and have fun at the same time. The deputy minister is hoping for similar events to take place in the future—and is aiming for bigger ones, in fact, to supercharge Sarawak’s tourism.
“I would also like to see organisers working through Sarawak Business Events or other platforms to collaborate in hosting international pickleball tournaments,” Datuk Lawan said as he lauded the newly opened PicklePro Kuching facility, which he describes as a “step up.”
“Compared to the one in Pending, this is a step up. That one has cement flooring, but here, we have matte flooring. If we host international events and promote it well, the presence of matte flooring will definitely draw interest. It’s considered one of the better flooring materials for this sport,” he pointed out.
The deputy prime minister also noted the eight courts of PicklePro Kuching, which he says will open up opportunities for bigger tournaments and events to be held in Sarawak.
